Closure construction for sifting containers



April 21, 1964 3 J FOSTER 3,129,860

CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION FOR SIFTING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 14, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 N VENTORZ- n 5 y April 21, 1964 I J. A. FOSTER 3,129,860

CLOSURE CONSTRUCTION FOR SIFTING CONTAINERS Filed Nov. 14, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,129,860 CLGSURE CfiNdTRUCTlQNFfllil SHFEENG CONTAHQERS 30hr: A. Foster, Rockford, ilk, assignor to J.L. Clark Manufacturing Co., Rockford, Ill, a corporation of IllinoisFiled Nov. 14, 1%2, Ser. No. 24-2,32 6 Claims. (Cl. 222512) Thisinvention relates generally to dispensing containers and moreparticularly to a novel and distinctive closure construction havingsifter openings in a disk which may be turned to bring the openings intoor out of register With an opening in the top of the container.

The general object is to provide an improved sifter top which insuresimproved sealing of the sifter disk with positive cutoff of the materialbeing dispensed and with no possibility of fine granular materialbecoming wedged beneath the disk, which does not require closemanufacturing tolerances, and which permits assembly by high productionmachinery and manufacture at low cost.

Another object is to take advantage of the resiliently yieldablecharacter of certain molded plastic materials not only to facilitatemounting on and close fitting of the sifter disk against the top of thecontainer but also to insure ease of turning of the disk into and out ofsifting position.

The invention also resides in the novel manner of journaling the disk onthe top wall to stress the disk and achieve close face to face contactwith the top wall.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention are attained bythe construction and arrangement shown by way of illustration in thedrawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a container equipped witha combined sifter and pouring top embodying the novel features of thepresent invention while also illustrating the manner of turning thesitter disk.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 22 ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fixed and rotatable partsof the improved closure.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary exploded view of the parts of the closure plugshown in diametrical cross-section and in their initially formed shapes.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a part of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assembled plugshowing a modified method of coupling the parts together.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to FIGS. 2 and 3 showin a modifiedconstruction.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View illustrating steps inthe assembly of a sifter disk and top wall. FIG. 10 is an enlarged viewof a portion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 7.

In the form shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, theinvention is incorporated in the sheet metal top 12 of a containerhaving a body 13 of generally rectangular cross-section joined to thetop by a standard seam 3 .3. A movable sifter element in the form of acircular disk 14 is disposed in and seated against the bottom 15 of acup-like depression Iii in the top 12 and journaled around its outerperipheral edge in the side wall of the cup for manual turning todifferent positions to bring one or more openings 11-6 in the disk intoand out of register with a hole 17 in the bottom 15.

In the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the top 12 comprises an outer flatmetal sheet formed at its center with an upstanding rib 19 of triangularradial cross-section terminating in a cylindrical flange 20 whichdefines an opening 11 in the top. The depression or cup 10 is a separatesheet metal stamping with an upstanding cylindrical side wall 21 pressedinto the rib with a tight fit to bring an outturned lip flange 22against the top of the rib in the final assembly (see FIG. 2).

In the form shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, substantially the entire area of thecup bottom 15 is dished and pressed upwardly so as to form a graduallyrounded dome-shaped top surface 26 of pronounced convex contour. Thedome is part of a sphere and its height is about .050 of an inch for adiameter of 1.54 inches. Surrounding the gradually rounded peripheraledge 23 of the dome is a shallow groove 24 of narrow radial width havingan outer cylindrical wall 25 preferably set inwardly a short distancefrom the cup wall 21. The dispensing opening 17 is a generally circularhole punched through the dome 15 and disposed near the outer edgethereof.

The sifter disk 14 is relatively thin and circular and composed ofresiliently flexible plastic material such as for example high densitypolyethylene. The disk is larger in diameter than the dome edge 23 andsmaller than the cup wall 21 and molded to a curvature correlated withthat of the cup bottom so that the plastic material may be stressedsomewhat and thereby held seated down over substantially the entire areaof the dome surface. Herein the disk, as initially molded (see FIG. 4)is also part of a sphere of greater radius of curvature and therefore oflesser curvature than the dome 15, the depth of that part of the diskwhich contacts the dome surface being .040 of an inch in the presentinstance. Thus, when the disk as molded is placed in the cup with thecenter resting on the center of the dome surface 15, the periphery ofthe disk will be spaced above the edge 23 of the dome. The outer marginof the disk which then overhangs the edge 23 of the dome is turneddownwardly quite sharply as in dicated at 27 to provide a downwardlyinclined and preferably rounded top surface 28 around the outer edge ofthe disk.

The disk is journaled around its outer periphery in the side wall of thecup 10 for turning about the cup axis while being held stressed and infirm face to face contact with the entire area of the dome surface 26.To these ends, downward pressure is applied to the overhanging portionof the disk to bend the latter downwardly around the ledge 23 andthereby deform the disk and increase its curvature to that of the domethus bringing the entire area of the disk into firm face to face contactwith the dome surface. Such pressure is derived by any wellknown methodsuch as rolling or otherwise deforming angularly spaced portions of thecup wall 21 and displacing the same inwardly in a plane disposed justabove the ledge 23 so as to form a bead 29 or nibs as the case may bearound the interior of the cup. In this operation, and with theresiliently flexible disk resting on top of the dome, the displacedmetal first engages the downwardly rounded surface 28 at the disk edgeand then, as the deformation continues, bends the overhanging margindownwardly around the ledge 23 to cam the margin downwardly until thedisk has been brought into full face to face contact with the domesurface 26. Such action takes place around the entire periphery of thedisk with the result that the disk is not only changed to the contour ofthe dome surface but, due to the flexibility of its material,accommodates itself accurately to the contour of the dome surfaceagainst which the disk is held under pressure over its entire area.

The groove 24 in the cup bottom is substantially deeper than thedownward camming of the disk edge 27 so that in the final assembly(FIGS. 2 and 5), this edge is spaced above and never becomes pinchedagainst the bottom of the groove. In this way, wide variations in thedimensions of the disk and cup are allowable and automatic productionmachinery may be employed in the assembling operation without danger ofbinding or locking of the parts together in their final relation.

Instead of forming a continuous groove 31 in the cup wall to provide thebead 29, angularly spaced lengths of the wall may be pressed inwardly toform depressions 32 (see FIG. 6) and correspondingly substantiallystraight but tangentially extending nibs corresponding in crosssectionand position to the head. The nibs operate as before to press the diskagainst the dome 15.

It will be observed from FIGS. 5 and 6 that in the final assembly, thebead or the nibs project inwardly beyond the outer edge surface of theflexible disk margin 27 and overlies the latter so as to bear againstthe downwardly rounded surface 28 intermediate the edges of the latter.Thus the bead around the circular area of such engagement provides abearing surface by which the disk is accurately centered on the dome andin which the disk is journaled for turning about the dome axis afterovercoming the rubbing friction between the compressed plastic and metalsurfaces of the disk and dome.

To provide for sifting of powdered material out of the container, theholes 16 are located near the periphery of the disk so as to come intoregistry with the dome hole 17 by turning the disk to the properposition. In other positions of the disk, the holes are covered andsealed effectually by the dome surface 26.

Because the disk is formed in a molding operation, a spout 34 forpermitting pouring of the container contents may be added to the disk ata very low cost. Herein, the spout is a tube of about the size and shapeof the dome hole 17 upstanding from the top of the disk and open at itslower end so as to come into full registry with the hole, when the diskis turned to the pouring position shown, in FIG. 2.

The upstanding spout may be utilized to advantage as part of aneffective hand grip to facilitate easy turning of the disk between thesifting, pouring or closed positions. For this purpose, a projection 37is molded integral with the top of the disk along a diameter through thespout and on the side of the disk remote from the latter. Preferably,the projection comprises a narrow rib 37 of squared cross-sectionextending from the inner side of the spout diametrically across the diskand well beyond the disk center. The rib is substantially shallower thanthe spout and is spaced radially from the holes 16 so as not tointerfere with the contents while being sifted or poured from thecontainer.

FIGS. 7 through 11 show a modification of the invention which will nowbe described using corresponding but primed numerals to identify theparts in common with the construction described above. In this form, thedepression or cup is somewhat shallower and formed as an integral partof a single-piece stamping constituting the container top 12'.Initially, the sheet metal is stamped and contoured to the shape shownin FIG. 9 including a circular bottom or dome surface 15 having a topsurface 26' of pronounced convex contour somewhat smaller in diameterthan the original diameter of the molded plastic disk 14' andterminating at a peripheral shoulder 23'. The latter defines the top ofthe inner and shallow frustoconical wall 40 of a groove 24' whose outerwall 25' in the original stamping (FIG. 9) is generally cylindrical andsomewhat larger than the disk 14' so that the latter will telescopeloosely into the cup. To facilitate the clenching of the disk againstthe cup bottom, the metal of the top around the cup is bent outwardlyand then downwardly to form the lip position of the cup as an upstandingrib 41.

In the modification, the dome surface 26' is somewhat shallower than inthe form first described having a radius of curvature of about seveninches While the disk 14 is of correspondingly lesser curvature that is,greater in radius of curvature. In fact, the disk in its originallymolded form is substantially flat over its full diameter as shown inFIGS. 9 and 10. As a consequence and as in the form first described, theouter margin of the disk, when the latter is placed in the cup ordepression 10' as shown in phantom in FIG. 9 with its center contactingthe center of the dome 15', is spaced above the edge 23' so that thedisk will be brought into sealing contact with the entire area of thedome as the overhanging margin of the disk is bent downwardly below theedge 23'. The outer periphery 42 is substantially cylindrical butbeveled somewhat at its upper edge 28', the same as in the form firstdescribed.

With the sheet metal of the top 12' formed to the contour shown in FIG.9 and the flat disk 14' dropped into the cup, the bending of the diskinto full contact with the dome surface may be effected in simplerolling or clenching operations. First, the lip bead 41 is rolledinwardly toward the periphery 42 of the disk thus inclining the innercup wall 25' as shown in FIG. 10. By continuing the inward bending ofthe rib while pressing the same downwardly, the rib comes into overlyingrelation and engages the edge 28' and bends the disk peripherydownwardly to change the contour of the disk. This action is continueduntil the disk has come into full face to face contact with the dome 15'as shown in FIG. 11 with the lower edge 44 of the disk periphery spacedslightly above the bottom of the groove 24'. Only the edge 28' of thedisk remains in contact with the cup wall 25 which forms the bearing forjournaling the disk to turn freely about the dome axis.

Other variations in the relative contours of the plastic disk and themetal bottom of the cup may be employed so long as the outer peripheryof the disk remains spaced above the outer edge 23' of the cup bottomwhen the disk is placed in the cup with its center in contact with thecenter of the cup bottom. That is to say, the cup bottom may be madesubstantially flat and the disk molded so as to present a concave uppersurface.

It will be observed that the cup 10 and disk 14 formed and coupledtogether as above described constittue a unitary assembly which may beassembled, handled, centered relative to each other, pressed intosealing contact, and journaled together by automatic operationsperformed by high production machinery. Molding of the disk ofresiliently flexible material results in numerous advantages. First, theprovision of sifting holes, a pouring spout, and a hand grip is achievedat a low over-all cost considering the advantageous characteristics ofthese elements as above described. Of equal importance is the avoidanceof metal to metal contact between the disk and its support. Beingresilient and relatively yieldable, the plastic deflects easily withoutheavy loading and provides a smooth bearing contact with the cup bottom.As a con sequence, an extremely tight rubbing fit is maintained at alltimes around the dome opening 17 thus minimizing the possibility of thecontainer contents, even when a powder, becoming wedged between the domeand disk.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending applicationSerial No. 71,268, filed November 23, 1960, now abandoned.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sifter top for a dispensing container comprising a rigid sheetmetal top wall defining an annular rigid dome having a top surface ofpronounced convex curvature and a hole therethrough offset laterallyfrom the axis of the dome, an upright wall larger than said dome andsurrounding the latter to form an annular upwardly opening interveninggroove below the periphery of the dome, a disk of resiliently yieldableplastic larger than and lying against the top of said dome and molded toan initial curvature less than that of said dome surface, and meansformed out of said upright wall and overlying the edge of said disk tobend the overhanging margin thereof downwardly to and against theperipheral edge of said dome and hold the disk in tight face to facecontact with said dome surface while permitting turning of the diskabout its axis, said disk having a perforation therein adapted toregister with said hole in one angular position of said dome and to becovered by the latter in other positions.

2. A sifter top as defined by claim 1 in which said top dome surface atthe junction of said groove and the outer edge of said dome is roundedoutwardly and downwardly and said disk margin is bent downwardly andaround the rounded portion of said top wall.

3. A sifter top for a dispensing container comprising a rigid domehaving a top surface of pronounced convex curvature and at least onehole therethrough offset laterally from the dome axis, a disk ofresiliently yieldable molded plastic lying on top of and centeredrelative to said dome and having an initial curvature less than that ofthe dome, the outer margin of said disk overhanging the outer edge ofsaid dome surface, at least one hole extending through said disk in aposition to register with said dome hole in one angular position of thedisk and to be blocked by said dome surface in other angular positions,and means coupling said disk to said top for turning about said axiswhile bending said overhanging outer margin of the disk downwardly tothe curvature of the disk and press the latter yieldably into firm faceto face contact with said dome surface.

4. A sifter top for a dispensing container comprising a rigid upwardlyopening cup having a bottom providing a top surface of pronounced convexcurvature smaller than the side wall of the cup, the outer portion ofsaid cup bottom cooperating with said side wall to define an upwardlyopening annular groove, a disk of resiliently yieldable molded plasticmaterial larger than said dome surface and lying on top of and centeredrelative to said convex surface with the outer margin of the diskoverhanging the edge of said dome surface, and means for coupling saiddisk and cup together for turning of the disk about the axis of the cupcomprising formations on said side wall overlying the outer edge of saiddisk and bending the same downwardly into said groove to thereby bendthe disk to the curvature of said dome and bring the disk into full faceto face contact with said dome surface with the outer edge of the diskspaced above the bottom of said groove, and holes in said disk and saidcup bottom adapted to register With each other in one angular positionof the disk.

5. A sifter top for a dispensing container comprising a rigid topsurface of a predetermined curvature having at least one hole thereinofiset laterally from the axis of the surface, a circular disk ofresiliently yieldable plastic larger in diameter than and covering saidtop surface and having an initial curvature sufliciently different fromsaid surface to space the periphery of the disk above the periphery ofsaid surface when the disk is resting on said surface with the centersof the disk and surface in contact and with the periphery of the diskoverhanging the periphery of said surface, means coupling said disk tosaid top for turning about said axis comprising an upright Wall rigidwith said top surface and surrounding the latter, a portion of theupright wall overlying the overhanging portion of said disk peripheryWhile holding the same bent downwardly against the outer edge of saidrigid surface with the under surface of the disk in firm face to facecontact with said surface, and at least one hole extending through saiddisk in a position to register with said first hole in one angularposition of the disk and to be blocked by the surface in other angularpositions.

6. A sifter top as defined in claim 5 in which said rigid surface is ofconvex curvature and said plastic disk when free is substantially flat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS887,760 Blood May 10, 1908 2,254,581 Punte Sept. 2, 1941 2,832,514OConnor Apr. 29, 1958 2,833,452 Drummond et al. May 6, 1958

1. A SIFTER TOP FOR A DISPENSING CONTAINER COMPRISING A RIGID SHEETMETAL TOP WALL DEFINING AN ANNULAR RIGID DOME HAVING A TOP SURFACE OFPRONOUNCED CONVEX CURVATURE AND A HOLE THERETHROUGH OFFSET LATERALLYFROM THE AXIS OF THE DOME, AN UPRIGHT WALL LARGER THAN SAID DOME ANDSURROUNDING THE LATTER TO FORM AN ANNULAR UPWARDLY OPENING INTERVENINGGROOVE BELOW THE PERIPHERY OF THE DOME, A DISK OF RESILIENTLY YIELDABLEPLASTIC LARGER THAN AND LYING AGAINST THE TOP OF SAID DOME AND MOLDED TOAN INITIAL CURVATURE LESS THAN THAT OF SAID DOME SURFACE, AND MEANSFORMED OUT OF SAID UPRIGHT WALL AND OVERLYING THE EDGE OF SAID DISK TOBEND THE OVERHANGING MARGIN THEREOF DOWNWARDLY TO AND AGAINST THEPERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID DOME AND HOLD THE DISK IN TIGHT FACE TO FACECONTACT WITH SAID DOME SURFACE WHILE PERMITTING TURNING OF THE DISKABOUT ITS AXIS, SAID DISK HAVING A PERFORATION THEREIN ADAPTED TOREGISTER WITH SAID HOLE IN ONE ANGULAR POSITION OF SAID DOME AND TO BECOVERED BY THE LATTER IN OTHER POSITIONS.